Machine for stemming cherries.



M. E. DUNKLEY. MACHINE FOR STEMMING OHERRIES.

APPLIGATION FILED 0073.16, 1911.

Patented June 18, 1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. E. DUNKLEY. MACHINE FOR STBMMING CHERRIES. APPLICATION FILED 001.10,1911.

1 929 91 Patented Jfine 18,1912.

-w 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M. E. DUNKLEY. MACHINE FOR STEMMING CHERRIES.

I APPLIOATION FILED OUT. 16, 1911.

Patented June 18, 1912.

4 BHEETS-BHEET 3.

M. E. DUNKLEY. MACHINE FOR STEMMING CHERRIES.

APPLIOATION FILED 00T.16, 1911.

1,029,918 Patnted June 18,1912.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

' l H 00] l Witnesses.

ticular features of the machine, 'asan im- 1 UNITED s'rArr s PATENT ontoMELVILLE n. DUNKLEY, or xaLnMA zoo, MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOR STEMMING CHERRIES.

.The main object of the invention is to provide a single machine whichshall be completely efiiectivein removing the stems and in grading thefruit.

The invention also pertains to certain parproved means for feeding andpresenting the fruit to the stem stripping rollers to improved means forinsuring the turning of gaged; to improved means for severing the stemswhen a bunch of cherries is joined of retaining any fruit that has notbeen properly stemmed and returning it to the feed device at the frontend of the machine; and to improved means coupled with the stemmingmachine for grading the fruit.

Y .Further improvements and improvements relating to mere details and toeconomies of construction and operation will definitely appear from thedetailed description to fol- I accomplish the objects of my inventionbythe devices and means and machinery described in the followingspecification..

The invention is clearly defined and pointed out in the claims? Amachine constituting a preferred embodiment of my invention is fullyillustrated in the accompanying drawing, forming a responding to line4-4. of Figs. I, II and v III. Fig. V is an enlarged detail plan view ofthe upper endof the stem stripping rolls and the driving means therefor,the feed carrier orelevator afid the apron being Specification ofLetters Patent. Patented June 18, 1912, Application filed October 16,1911. Serial No. 655,027.

- omitted. "Fig. VI- is an enlargeddetail sec- 1 tlonal view taken on aline corresponding to 1 line 6-6 of Fig. I, showing the reciprocatingways on which the shaker table recipro- 'cates. Fig. VII is an enlargeddetail sectional'view taken on a line corresponding to line 7-7 ofFig.II, showing the details of the stem snipping device for severing thestems when a group of cherries is coupled together thereby.

In the drawings, similar numerals of ref I erence refer to similar partsthroughout tlie several views, and the sectional views taken looking inthe direction of the little 1 arrows at the ends of the section lines.

Referring to the numbered parts of the drawing, the sides 1 of the frameare coupled together by cross beams 2 at. the

lower part, and by cross beams 3 above, the the cherries so that thestems will be encross beam 3 toward the front of the machine beingelevated above that at the rear,

or discharge end. by the associated stems; toimproved means The beams 3are provided with journal boxes 3, which carry pairs of stripping .rolls4-4 disposed longitudinally of the machine I and in an inclinedrelation. The pairs of rolls are sufliclently close together to grasp 1the stemof a cherry andstrip it off. The

rolls 4 are driven from the transverse shaft 5, carrying bevel gears 6which mesh with bevel gears 7 on the ends of the rolls, and

the rolls 44 are provided with intermeshing gears 8, 9, so that theyturn toward each other when they are driven and act in the well knownmanner of such stripping rolls. The shaft 5 is supported in suitablejournal boxes 10-10 at each side of the machine.

A shaker table, consisting of sides 11 coupled together by cross pieces12-, the surface of which is formed by a'series of open hottomedtroughs, is disposed with the troughs above the meeting line of saidrolls. The troughs are made up plates 1616, with the openings 17 abovethe contact line between the pairs of rolls, and is provided fordelivering the cherries to the said stripping rolls, so that the stemswill be stripped from the same. p

The sides 11 are carried on suitable guideways 14 on the'sides 1, thesame being suitably grooved at 13 to fit upon the said rails.

The shaker table is operated from the eccentrics 18, one at each end ofthe shaft 5.

Each eccentric operates a connecting rod 19,

which is pivotally connected at 20 to the side of the frame 11, asclearly appears in Fig.

l V, the details of the connection appearing distinctly in Figs. I andII.

Supported above the shaker frame is a pair of transverse shafts 2121,which are carried in bearings on suitable arms 22-22 at each end, whicharms are secured to the sides 1 ,of the main frame. These shafts 21 areprovided above the meeting lines of the stripper rolls with flexiblestraps 23, which, when the shafts are rotated, tend to strike theupwardly projecting stems of any cherries and tip the same over so thatthe stem will be grasped by the stripping rolls below. These shafts aredriven from the pulley 24 on the shaft 5, which is coupled to a pulley25 by the belt 26. Pulleys 28-28 are on the shafts 21 and are coupledtogether by the belt 27.

Above the lower part of the shaker frame are disposed a series ofcutting devices for cutting apart any bunches of cherries which may beretained together by their stems. This structure is drlven by thetransverse shaft 29 supported in bearings on arms 30 at each end, theshaft 29 ,being driven from the pulley 31 on one of the shafts 21, whichis coupled to the pulley 32 by means of the belt 33.

A series of shafts 34 are supported above the meeting lines of thestripper rolls and are drivenby the intermeshing bevel gears 3536 fromthe shaft 29. The parallel shafts '34 are supported by the transversebars 37.37, which are carried by upwardlyprojecting arms or brackets38-38 secured to the sides 1 of the main frame.

On the shafts 34 are carried curved cutters or knives 3939, (see Fig.VII)'which strike upwardly between the teeth 40 of the comb. The comb 41is supported on the transverse bar 37, as clearly appears in Fig. II. Itwill thus be seen that when any group of cherries is coupled together bythe stems and passes underneath these knives, owing to the fact that theknives are rotating quite rapidly, the stems will be engaged by one orthe other of the knives 39 and the fruit will be cut apart by the knivespassing upwardly between the teeth- 40 of the comb 41,

the details of which appear distinctly in Figs. II and VII.

The fruit passes from the shaker table to a transverse carrier belt 46supported on longitudinal rollers 48, which are slightly inclined towardthe rear of the machine. These rollers are driven by the pulley 47,which is driven by a belt 47' extending to a pulley 47 on some revolvingpart on the side of the machine.

Beyond the inclined part of the carrier 46 is an inclined grading table49', which is carried by the brackets 49, which brackets also serve assupports for the transverse conveyer belt 46. It will thusbe seen thatany fruit that has not been properly stemmed that drops on the inclinedconveyer belt 46 will not roll off from the same, but will be conveyedto one side of the machine.

At the sideof the machine is an endless conveyer 50 with transverseslats or raddles 51. The conveyer is supported on rolls 52 which aredriven by any suitable independent means, which it is not deemednecessary to show in this connection. This is carried on an independentframe 52. An inclined delivery trough 53 is provided at the rear,

which discharges any unstemmed fruit into the feed hopper 42, hereafterto be described, at the front of the machine.

At the front of the machine is a feed hop-i it will be seen that inoperation, a quantity of fruit is placed with1n the feed hopper 42, andis carried upwardly in small quantities by the transverse slats 44 ofthe elevator 43 and dropped down the chute 45 onto the shaker table. Asthis shaker table is being actuated, the fruit rapidly passes down thesame, descending into the bottoms of the troughs, and the stems strikingdown between the stripper rolls 44 are stripped from the fruit, which isthen freeto roll down off from the machine. If, for any reason, due toirregularity of form or otherwise, the stems of any of the fruit standupwardly, the flexible fingers 23 strike the same, throwing the stemsdown so that the rolls catch them and strip them off.

In the event that a bunch of cherries are retained together by thestems, they are advanced down the shaker table until they come to therevolving knives 39, which will strike between the stems up through thecomb and cut them apart and permit them to tumble on and be acted uponby the stripper rolls at that point. In the event thatany of thecherries pass by these various devices and are not stemmed, they will,of course,

not be free to r011, and as soon as they drop upon the conveyer belt 46,they will be retained there and carried to one side and returned by theconveyer 50 to the rear of the machine wherethe process will berepeated,-

so that after a cherry with a stem. on is put into the machine it isrepeatedly passed through the machine until the stem is evengradingtable 49', which isrmade up of aI series of spaced slat-s that: permitthe small fruit to pass through and the largest cherries pass on ofi:'the edge where they are 001- lected by an boxes for that purpose, I

I have thus described my machine in full l in the form in which it isfound to be most practical and eflicient. Thecapacity of" the machine isvery large, many, hundreds, of bushels being eifectively stemmed in asingle day. This labor otherwise performed would consume the time ofmany hands, and the work would. not beso well done in the end. In thisconnection, I desire to state that-the auxiliary devices for tippingover thefruit to bring the stems into engagej ment can, of course, bedispensed with, thus dispensing with their-function. The machine,however, would still .be quite efi'ective, because the fruit .with stemson would be returned to the front of'the machine, and in the. event ofsome of this fruit being bunched together by the stems, it could beseparated by the hands of an operator. On the otherhand, the devices areso effective that an operator might be placed at the rear of the machineand could very easily pick out the unstemmed fruit. By providing themeans described I have made it unnecessary to provide theseattendants'to which I refer. The machine with these devices iscompletely automatic.

I desire to claim this structure broadly, and also to claim the same invconjunction with its special features, making claims specific to the.particular structure of the machine," as well as to the structurebroadly.

The structure can be greatly varied in its mechanical details withoutdeparting from my invention, although it is incorporated in a veryefiective form, which I wish to claim specifically.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto-secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combination ofa suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a driving means therefor; a shaker tabledisposed above such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with openbottoms in line with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; guidemeans for said shaker table; suitable connections for shaking the saidtable by longitudinal reciprocation to advance the frult; transverserevoluble shafts above said shaker table with striking fingers forupsetting the fruit to throw the stems between the stripper rolls; andlongitudinal shafts disposed above the contact line of a portion of thelength of said stripper rolls with rotary cutters thereon transverse tosaid rolls, and combs associatedvwith said-cutters for y suitabledevices, as baskets or a frame; pairs ef'inclined stripperrollsdissnipping the stems to divide any passing bunches of fruit, allcoacting substantially .as described and for the purpose specified.

as cherries, the combination 0- a suitable posed longitudinally thereof;a driving means therefor; a shaker table disposed above such rollsdivided into longitudinal troughs with open bottoms in line with themeetingv surfaces of said stripper rolls; guide means for said shakertable; suitable connections for shaking the said table by longitudinalreciprocation to advance the fruit; and transverse revoluble shaftsabove said shaker table with strikin fingers for upsetting the fruit tothrow t e stemsbetween the stripper .rolls, all coacting substantiallyas described and for the purpose specified.

3. Ina machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combination ofa suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a driving means therefor; a shaker table disposeabove such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with open bottoms inline with the 2. In a machine for stemmin' fruit, such meeting surfacesof said stripper rolls;

guide means for said shaker table; and suit able connections for.shaking the said table by longitudinal reciprocation to advance thefruit, all coacting substantiallygas described 4 I and for the purposespecified.

4. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combination ofa suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls dislongitudinalreciprocation to -'advance the fruit and longitudinal shafts disposedabove the contact line of a portion of the length of said stripper rollswith rotary cutters thereon transverse to said rolls, and combsassociated with said cutters for snipping the stemslto divide anypassing bunches of fruit, all coacting substantially as described andfor the purpose specified.

5. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combination ofa suitable frame;, pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; means therefor; a shaker table disposed abovesuch rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with open bottoms in linewith the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; guide means for saidshaker table; suitable a driving connections for shaking the said tableby troughs adapted to snip the upwardly projecting stems, all coactingsubstantially as described and for the purpose specified.

6. In a machine' for stemming fruit; such as cherries, the combinationof a suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a drlvmg means therefor; a shaker table dlsposedabove such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with open. bottoms inline with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; guide means forsaid shaker table; suitable connections for shaking the said table bylongitudinal reciprocation to advance the fruit; and cutters disposed.above said trough adapted to snip the upwardly. projecting stems, allcoacting substantially as describe and for the purpose specified.

7. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combination ofasuitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a driving means therefor; a shaker tabledisposed above such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with openbottoms in line with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; guidemeans for said shaker table; suitable con-, nections for shaking thesaid table by lon-.

gitudinal reciprocation to advance the fruit; and a transversely drivenendless belt beneath the discharge end of said shaker table and inclinedtoward the discharge end of t the machine for receiving the fruit andcarrying the unstemmed fruit laterally to one side and thus separatingit from the mass of stemmed fruit, all coacting substantially asdescribed and for the purpose specified.

8. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combination ofa suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a drivlng means therefor; a shaker tabledisposed abovesuch rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with openbottoms in line with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; guidemeans for said shaker table; suitable connections .for shaking the saidtable by longitudinal reciprocation to advance the fruit; a transverselydriven endless belt be- 5b neath the discharge end of said shaker tableand inclined toward the discharge end of the machine for receiving thefruit and carrying the unstemmed fruit laterally to one side and" thusseparating it from the mass of stemmed fruit; and an inclined gradingtable made up of suitable separated longitudinal slats beneath the lowerside of said inclined belt for grading the fruit, coacting substantiallyas described and for the purpose specified.

9. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combination ofa suit-abletroughs with open bottoms in line with the meeting surfacesofsaid stri per rolls; guide'means for said shaker tab e; suitableconnections for shaking the said table by 10 itudinal reciprocation toadvance the fruit; and an inclined ading table made up of suitableseparateg longitudinal slats beneath disposed at the rear of saidmachine, all coacting substantially as described and for the purposespecified. Q

10. In a machine for stemmi fruit, such as cherries, the combination 0 asuitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposed longitudinallythereof; a driving means therefor; 'a shaker "table disposed above suchrolls divided into longitudinal troughs with open bottoms in line withthe meeting surfaces of said stri per rolls;

guide means for said shaker tab e; suitable connections for shakin thesaid table by longitudinal reciprocation to advance the fruit; atransversely driven endless belt beneath the discharge end of saidshaker table and inclined toward the discharge end of the machine forreceivi the fruit and carrying the unstemmed fruit laterally to one sideand thus separating it from the mass of stemmed fruit; and a returncarrier disposed to one side of said machine beneath the dischar e endof said transverse belt for returning t e unstemmed fruit to the hopperat the front of the machine, all coacting substantially as described andfor the purpose specified.

11. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combinationof a suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a drivin means therefor; a "shaker table disposeabove such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with open bottoms inline with the meetmg surfaces of said stripper rolls; guide means forsaid shaker table; suitable connections for shaking the said table bylongitudinal reciprocation to advance the fruit; a feeding hopper at thefront of the machine, open at one side; an inclined elee vator conveyerwith transverse slats disposed vto receive the fruit from the open sideof said hopper and carry it upwardly; and

fruit; a feeding hopper at the front of the machine, open at one side;and an inclined elevator conveyer with transverse slats disposed toreceive thefruit from the open side of said hopper and carry itupwardly, all coacting substantially as described and for the purposespecified. a

13. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combinationof a suitable frame; pairs of inclined stri per rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a driving means therefor; and an inclined tabledisposed above such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with openbottoms in line with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls, asspecified.

14:. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combinationof a suitable frame; pairs of inclined stri per rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof a driving means therefor; an inclined tabledisposed above such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with openbottoms in line with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; and atransversely driven endless belt beneath the discharge end of saidinclined table and inclined toward the discharge end of the machine forreceiving the fruit and carrying the unstemmed fruit laterally to oneside and thus separating it from the mass of stemmed frult, asspecified.

15. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combinationof. a suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a driving means therefor; an inclined tabledisposed above such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with openbottoms in line with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; atransversely driven endless belt beneath the discharge end of saidinclined table and inclined toward the discharge end of the machine forreceiving the fruit and carrying the unstemmed fruit laterally to oneside and thus separating it from the mass of stemmed fruit; and aninclined grading tablemade up of suitable separated longitudinal slatsbeneath the lower side of said ifimgined belt forgrading the fruit, asspeci- 16. In a machine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, thecombination of a suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rollsdisposed longitudinally thereof; a driving means therefor an inclinedtable disposed above such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs withopen bottoms in line with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls;and

an inchned grading table made up of suitable separated longitudinalslats beneath dis posed at the rear of said machine, as speci- 17. In' amachine for stemming fruit, such as cherries, the combination of asuitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposed longitudinallythereof; a driving means therefor; an inclined table disposed above suchrolls divided into longitudinal troughs with open bottoms in line withthe meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; a transversely drivenendless belt beneath the discharge end of said inclined table andinclined toward the discharge end of the machine for receiving the fruitand carrying the unstemmed fruit laterally to one side and thusseparating it from the mass of stemmed fruit; and a return carrierdisposed to one side of said machine beneath the discharge end of saidtransverse belt for returning the unstemmed fruit to the hopper at thefront of the machine, as specified.

18. In a machine for steinming fruit, such as cherries, the combinationof a suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a driving means therefor; an inclined tabledisposed above such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with openbottoms in line with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; afeeding hopper ,at the front of the machine, open at one side; aninclined elevator con-' veyer with transverse slats disposed to receivethe fruit from the open side of said hopper and carry it upwardly; and achute to receive the fruit from the said conveyer and discharge it ontothe inclined table, as specified.

19. In a machine for stemmin fruit, such as cherries, the combination 0a suitable frame; pairs of inclined stripper rolls disposedlongitudinally thereof; a driving means therefor; an inclined tabledisposed above such rolls divided into longitudinal troughs with openbottoms in line with the meeting surfaces of said stripper rolls; afeeding hopper at the front of the machine, open at one side; and aninclined elevator conveyer wit-h transverse slats disposed to receivethe fruit from the open side of said hopper and carry it upwardly, asspecified.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal in the presenceof two witnesses.

MELVILLE E. DUNKLEY.

Witnesses:

M. PHINA Woonnurr, MARGARET L. GLASGOW.

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